Gower College Swansea

Gower College Swansea is a further education college in Swansea, Wales. It was formed in 2010 by the merger of Gorseinon College and Swansea College. Mark Jones, previously Vice Principal of Swansea College and then principal of Bridgend College, became principal in July 2013

WWW gcs.ac.uk

Campuses

Gower College provides further education and other training courses from several campuses and venues in the area. The college has five campuses:

Gorseinon
Tycoch
Jubilee Court
Llwyn y Bryn
Sketty Hall

Exam results

In 2021, Gower College reported that the overall A-level pass rate was 99%, above the Welsh national average. Of these passes, 43% were at the higher grades of A* to A, 70% were at A*-B, and 88% were at A*-C.

Governance

The college is overseen by twenty governors who form the Corporation Board.

Sports academies

The college has a number of sports academies that enable full-time students to develop skills in football, rugby, netball, hockey and cricket. Sports scholarships are available.

Higher education courses

The college offers the following higher education courses:

Foundation Degrees

Analytical and Forensic Science
Care and Support
Early Childhood
IT Management for Business
Education Learning and Development
English and History
Housing and Sustainable Communities
Sports Development and Management

Higher National Certificates and Diplomas

HNC and HND in Building Services
HND in Business and Accountancy
HND in Computer and Information Systems
HNC and HND in Electrical/Electronic Engineering
HND in Electrical Engineering
HNC and HND in Mechanical Engineering

Other

Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
CertEd Post-compulsory Education and Training
Diploma in Leadership for Children's Care, Learning and Development

College charity

The Kenya Community Education Project was set up in 2003 and is run by the college students. This project aims to raise money to maintain a feeding programme for over 120 of the poorest pupils at Madungu Primary School in Kenya. In addition, it aims to pay the salaries of two teachers and supply them with various educational materials. The college holds an annual Kenya Project Day but fundraising continues throughout the year.
Students participate in the annual Cannock Chase Walk to raise funds as well as various events throughout the year including a "Walrus Dip".
Members of the project have a chance to go to the Kenyan school every other year.
The college's Islamic Society has formed a charity for Islamic Relief, which fundraises for a week every November.

Esports

Since its formation in 2019, the college’s official esports team, the GCS Owls, has become part of the college’s digital skills and student enrichment activities.
The Owls have achieved notable competitive results:

In 2023, they finished the Winter Split of the British Esports Student Championships with an undefeated record, and also won the inaugural Williams Esports Student Racing League race in Abu Dhabi.
In 2024, the Owls won the Welsh Cup Finals in Rocket League and Valorant, alongside success in EAFC competitions.

The college also introduced one of Wales’s first Foundation Degrees in Esports, covering areas such as strategy, event planning, media, psychology, and wellbeing.
In the same year, GCS was recognised as British Student Champions in Esports.